Hawai'i-Hilo Steals One from Gauchos

HILO, Hawaii -
A bases loaded error in the bottom of the 10th gave the University of Hawai'i at Hilo baseball team a 5-4 victory over UC Santa Barbara in the first of a four-game series.

The series continues with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Friday, March 31 and a 4 p.m. game on Saturday, April 1 at Wong Stadium. Friday's games were originally slated to start at 3 p.m.

With the bases loaded in the 10th, UCSB's Chris Valaika's throw pulled first baseman Chris Webber off the base allowing the winning run to score.

The Vulcans had many opportunities to pull away but mustering just eight hits, the Vulcans stranded 14 runners as the Gaucho pitching staff contributed five walks and five hit batters.

"You can't leave that many men on base and expect to be successful," UHH Head Coach Joey Estrella said. "The next three games we've got to make sure we can do something about getting more guys to score."

The Gauchos got off to a fast start before the game's first out. Carrithers led off with a single. Valaika followed with a towering homerun over the scoreboard for a 2-0 lead.

"I'm proud of our guys for coming back," Estrella said. "When you give up a two spot early in the game we could have easily doubted our selves. [Ryan] Oleszewski came back and kept them off balance. We were in ball game because of him."

After the two runs, Oleszewski gave up just three hits while striking out five and walking two over the next 6.2 innings. Vinnie Biggs got the win shutting out the Gauchos over the final 3.1 innings on two hits and walk while striking out two.

The Vulcans came back with a run of their own in the first. Chris Campbell singled to get aboard and moved to second on Michael Higa's bunt. After a flyout, Tyler Curtis hit a grounder to first base. Robbie Blower made a diving stop of the ball but overthrew pitcher Bryan Fleming at first base. Campbell scooted home on the bad throw.

Tying the game in the third, the Vulcans got back into the game. With Dayne Ogawa on first after being hit by a pitch, he moved to second on Campbell's bunt. An out later, Mark Veneri singled up the middle for the RBI.

An error prone fourth gave the lead back to the Gauchos. After Matt Anderson reached first on an error, he moved to second on a passed ball. Matt Clark's grounder bounded off the first baseman's glove. Anderson moved to third. After a walk loaded the bases, Matt Emerick's grounder was booted at shortstop, scoring Anderson.

With the bases loaded, Campbell's fourth inning single gave the Vulcans their first lead of the game. Robby Mowers' one-out single was followed by Jimmy Crider and Ogawa both being hit by pitches. Campbell lined the second pitch over the shortstop.

Two singles in the seventh tied the game. Patrick Rose singled and move to third on a pair of ground outs. He then came home on Carrithers single to left.

Campbell and Mowers paired hits for the Vulcans while Carrithers and Valaika did the same for the Gauchos.